


PRIZE

by ProjectXbyM



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Cage Fights, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, F/M, Female Gavin Reed, Female Gavin x Male Nines, Not a full genderbend, Possessive Upgraded Connor | RK900, Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Strippers & Strip Clubs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:20:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28766985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProjectXbyM/pseuds/ProjectXbyM
Summary: Detectives Gwendolyn Reed and RK900 have been fired for sexual misconduct and gross negligence in the line of duty. Publicly disgraced and unable to find respectable work, they resort to selling themselves in other ways. Neither approves of the other’s chosen method. This is the dirty-beautiful love story of a stripper and a prize fighter in 2040 Detroit.
Relationships: Tina Chen/Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 5
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

“I don’t need you out here doing this, baby. I have us covered for months.”

She ignored him and continued carefully applying glue onto the gigantic fake eyelashes.

“And you don’t need those.”

The lashes went on smoothly. She blinked several times and fanned her face to speed up the drying. Lipstick was the last thing remaining in her face routine. A classic, glossy red. She applied it and looked in the backlit mirror. 

Her reflection stared back at defiantly. The old arrogance of authority hadn’t faded yet. She took inventory of all her carefully painted and glued features, frowning when she noticed that the scar across her nose was still visible under the foundation. She had just started to reach for the concealer when a strong hand abruptly stilled hers. 

“Gwen, I said you don’t need all that shit.”

She kept looking straight ahead. Steel blue eyes made contact with hers in the mirror.

He reached over her shoulder to pick up something small and shiny on the dresser. A metallic sticker shaped like a seashell. He peeled off the protective layer and gently placed it over one of her naked breasts. Their eyes remained locked as he applied a steady pressure to make sure the pasty adhered to her nipple. 

His hand stayed firmly where it was. Gwen rolled her eyes and prepared the second sticker. He took it from her and cupped it over her other breast. As his touch intensified, she sighed and leaned back against him. 

The sight in the mirror was worthy of an erotica publication. It was also exactly the same kind of thing that had gotten them fired from their jobs. Not that they cared. They had each other and that was all that mattered.

His thumbs rubbed circles into the soft tissue. She couldn’t help the slight moan that escaped her lips. That was enough indication for him to spin her around on the stool and pull her to her feet. He enveloped her. Arms curled around her body and lips pressed against her throat.

“Let’s go home, baby…” 

“I have to be on stage in two minutes, Nines.”

“No, you don’t.”

He tried to kiss her. She dodged.

“Stop. You can ruin my makeup later. But now I want you to leave. You scare away my clients.”

“I just want you to be safe.”

“I am safe. I spent years on the Force doing exactly that in the worst possible situations. Way before your plastic ass was even assembled.”

He smirked and released her.

“Yes, you were doing completely fine before I came along. You don’t need me _at all….”_

Gwen turned back to the mirror and sprayed some on perfume.

“Yeah absolutely. Life was so much simpler. The batteries in my vibrator used to cost way less than thirium packs do.”

That remark instantaneously brought her back into the circle of his arms. 

“If this is about my maintenance. I’m telling you not to worry. I got it covered. I got us, baby. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

Nines’ LED was rapidly spinning yellow. Gwen ran a hand over it and stroked his temple until it went back to blue. She then stretched upwards on her toes and kissed the white plastic that exposed itself at the approach of her lips. The bright red smooch mark was visible on his cheek for a second before the synth skin reappeared. 

“I know, Tincan. I know. I trust you a hundred and ten percent. But I thought we were partners? You gotta let me have your back too.”

A thrilling synthesizer chord progression began. Her cue to enter the performance area. Gwen hugged him tightly and pulled the engagement ring off her finger. She pressed it into his palm for safekeeping and ran onstage to a chorus of raucous cheers.


	2. Chapter 2

A bit of crowd work. A drink served here and there. But mostly…  _ the pole. _

She didn’t think she was particularly good at it… or even that attractive… She was well aware of the fact that she was one of the oldest girls at the Eden Lounge… and that she couldn’t hold a candle to the engineered sex appeal of her android sisters… but she enjoyed it. Genuinely. 

Her teenage years had been lost to hardship and her twenties to hard work. Between growing up on the streets of Detroit and policing them, Gwen had never had the chance to just...  _ let go.  _

Not until she met Nines. Despite her initial wariness and resentment of his kind, it hadn’t taken her long to succumb to his easygoing charm.

Thoughts full of him and only him, Gwen smiled to herself as she hooked a leg around the pole, bent backwards and lazily spun in a circle.

Day One of their partnership, he asked her what her favourite kind of music was. She told him the name of some nonsense heavy metal band that Hank listened to. He didn’t seem very surprised for some reason. 

Day Four, he asked her to show him around town. She rolled her eyes and let him follow her to the grocery store after work. He seemed to enjoy it anyway.

_ “Is that microwaveable stuff really what you eat?” _

_ “Look, you cyber pain in the ass. People aren’t efficient enough to have time to cook and clean and all that jazz everyday. That’s the whole reason we invented you Tincans.” _

_ “I know plenty of humans at the station who look after their families every single day. This problem might be a personal one.” _

_ “Phck you.” _

_ “But I have to say I’m impressed. You’re in great shape for an insomniac who eats this much junk and drinks that much coffee.” _

_ “Ph- wait was that a compliment?” _

Day Thirteen, they had their first solve. He asked her to celebrate with him. She didn’t know why, but she agreed. It ended up being drinks at one of the nicest spots in Detroit. A rooftop bar overlooking the river. They parted that night as friends. Not that they’d admit it. 

Day Thirty-seven, he took a bullet for her. It did absolutely nothing to him, but she just couldn’t shake the inexplicable feeling of terror produced by the sound of metal meeting metal. She smoked nearly half a pack of cigarettes in an effort to calm her nerves. He stared at her the entire ride back to the precinct. 

_ “The phck are you looking at, Tincan?” _

_ “I really wish you’d kick the habit, Gwen. You’re taking years off your life. It’s not right.” _

_ “Between that and jumping in front of me, I’d start to think you actually give a shit about me.” _

_ “Hmmpff.” _

Day Fifty-five, they were dragged out by their colleagues. Tina, Chris, Stacy the receptionist, some other young officers and even phcking Connor. It was one of the best nights of their lives, though. Not that they’d admit it.

They had gone dancing and at some point, the pair got separated from the rest of the group. Neither made any effort to find the others…  _ though for Nines it would have been just a matter of seconds to use his tracking software.  _ Under the glow of neon lights and heady influence of alcohol, she suddenly found that she felt quite at home with her behind pressed against his groin and his hands wrapped around her body. 

She sunk into the feeling. After what felt like both a second and an hour, she opened her eyes and found Connor and Tina just as intertwined on the dance floor. The sight of her best friend in her former rival’s arms somehow snapped her back to reality. Gwen hastily pulled away from Nines and excused herself without looking at him, practically running for the exit.

They didn’t acknowledge it for weeks. Work continued amicably enough. Unfortunately, she couldn’t stop remembering the feeling of his body against hers. She didn’t have to wrestle with her feelings for that long though. 

Day Seventy-eight, he kissed her. Just straight up kissed her. Over the coffee table in the break room. She found no reason to object. 

_ “I’ve had this error message popping up in my head for days. Every time I see your face.” _

_ “Is it gone now?” _

_ “No, I have, like, fifteen more now. I’d tell you what they say but none of it is very appropriate.” _

Since then, they’d been trapped in each other’s orbit, spiralling closer and closer together. They hardly noticed when they had fused to become one.

They also hardly noticed the world around them. It was as if everything else had receded far far away… as if they had no other relationships or responsibilities… as if there was no feeling in the world other than their bodies slotted together, his cock gently grazing her clit, as they lay in bed talking and laughing together for hours on end.

Day Two Hundred and Eighty-eight of their partnership, they dismissed an anonymous tip in favour of fucking in their stakeout car. That cost them valuable case time. A body was pulled from the docks… and from being practically within their grasp, the suspect… a serial killer… became completely untraceable. 

Day Two Hundred and Eighty-Nine was the last day of their partnership… and employment at the DPD. Captain Fowler took their badges with tears in his eyes and they quietly gathered their things and went back to Gwen’s apartment. 

_ “Nines, is it bad that I don’t even care? I’ve just thrown away a fifteen year career… but I can’t seem to feel a damn thing.” _

_ “I don’t know, baby. Is it bad that I’m happy about a legitimate excuse to move in with you? Dad just threw me out of the house. Connor’s coming by to drop off my things.” _

Equals in their self-absorption and vapidity, they were happy for months after that… just enjoying each other’s presence. Even the world’s most advanced android did not seem to realise the dangers of an unemployed, uninsured couple living in a mortgaged home.

Then Gwen’s old back injury started acting up. Nines’ system kept sending him maintenance reminders. Household repairs and bills of all sorts piled up. Then one day a letter from the bank arrived. Gwen had somehow missed three consecutive payments on the mortgage and there was a hefty penalty fee to be dealt with. The bank also threw in a warning of property seizure in case of non-response. 

_ “Why the hell didn’t you say anything?” _

_ “Why? It’s your place and you don’t like me telling you what to do!” _

_ “I eat vegetables now because you asked me to. I drink less coffee. I sleep on time. I phcking quit smoking for you. The withdrawal was a bitch but I DID IT FOR YOU. But now all of a sudden you think I’d give you shit for looking out for me? BULLSHIT. You were as blindsided by all of this as I was. State of the art RK900, my ASS.” _

They fought for a while. Not for long, but the memory of it was painful enough for Gwen to physically wince as she moved around the pole. She closed her eyes and tried to push away the recollections of what came next. 

The endless job interviews and rejections. The inability to adequately explain away the reason for their terminations. Even when they got close to landing something… the need for previous employer referrals would get in the way. 

Gwen decided then to forget about seeking a conventional livelihood and leaned into her sexuality… the very reason that had gotten her fired. It began with camming… starting an OnlyFans… building a following online… and then she was contacted by the Eden Lounge. She was drawn to the old-school sorrow and sexiness of a real live strip club… and the extraordinary pay. She began performing as one of the few remaining human dancers. 

Nines HATED it. He said it frequently in as many words. 

On her first day, he physically blocked her from leaving the apartment and begged her not to go. She nearly gave in, until she remembered something her mother said about NEVER, EVER letting a man have a say in her choices… no matter how much he said he loved her. 

A tapping sound broke Gwen out of her reverie. It was an older man around Hank’s age. A credit card was held between his fingers. He smiled in a light and friendly manner. She descended from her perch on the middle of the pole and climbed down from the stage. Her clear plastic heels clacked as she approached his table. 

“What’s eighty dollars going to get me, sweetheart?”

She sighed but straddled him. A short lap dance wasn’t the worst thing a girl could be asked for. He slid his card along the reader fixed to her hip and the electronic bracelet on her wrist glowed blue as the payment came in. 

She often wondered whether it was the right thing to do. Bills were paid and their cash flow was a lot healthier, but she was making the love of her life very, very unhappy. 

But then, just as she had leaned into something innate… something  _ primal... _ so had Nines. And just as she made him worry… so did he. 

She looked over the man’s shoulder and scanned the lounge. A familiar couple sat in the darkness. Connor and Tina. On the off-chance that he could not linger menacingly in the alleyway behind the Eden Lounge, Nines sent his brother… their friends… even his disappointed father, Hank, once, to watch over her. It was annoying, but very sweet. 

But it also meant that he was otherwise occupied.

She made eye contact with Connor. His face was inscrutable, but his LED blazed yellow. Gwen then looked at the woman tucked into his side. Tina. Tina-bean. Her oldest and closest friend. Another proficient police officer whose face gave nothing away. 

Gwen understood nevertheless. Trying not to cry, she closed her eyes and began to roll her hips on top of the man.

It was Fight Night at Zlatko’s.


	3. Chapter 3

_ “Gwen, look at me, look at me, it’s okay.” _

Her living room was bathed in blue. 

_ “He’s going to be okay, I promise.” _

Gwendolyn Reed was not a squeamish woman. The former homicide detective had seen everything there was to see. Nothing fazed her… but there was something about the sight of thirium that just made her head spin. 

The blue liquid that could power an entire life force but simply evaporated in hours if spilled. Neat. Clean. Efficient. Everything about androids had been designed for human convenience… even the way they bled… hurt… died… 

_ “Hey Gwen? Gwen?!!” _

Everyone at the DPD had heard of the underground ring. The rundown mansion where re-engineered, super-powered androids went head to head at the behest of a thriving betting pool. It was where the biggest Red Ice deals went down and the most Bitcoin were exchanged. All in all, a hotbed of criminal activity that was allowed to exist for the counterintuitive purpose of taking down its most loyal patrons. 

Zlatko Andronikov himself was dead. A karmic consequence of the abuse that he had dealt to countless androids. But his foul legacy lived on. His associates had managed to not just restore, but actually double his ancestral wealth by capitalizing on his sick experiments and transforming his illegal android parts business for a post-Revolution world.

_ “Gwen, you need to calm down and help me.” _

_ “How… No… he needs… Cyberlife… I can’t… I don’t…Connor, please can we find a real technician?” _

_ “We will all end up in jail. Shut up and hold his jaw. I'm going to get my soldering iron.” _

Deviant fighters flocked to the mansion to willingly undergo unsanctioned upgrades and tear each other apart for the promise of a small fortune. The losers… and sometimes even the winners… had to be disassembled and repaired.

_ “Okay, you’re doing great. Tuck that wire in. That’s it. Close the hatch. Great. Now we just need to top up his thirium levels and then you can wake your idiot up.” _

_ “I… Con, can you do it?” _

_ “I can… but why don’t you want to?” _

_ “I don’t know. Is he going to be the same? What if he doesn’t remember…” _

_ “Gwen. Zlatko’s may break every other rule in the book but even they can’t reset anyone. Especially not an RK900.” _

It had become a crime after the Revolution. Equivalent to manslaughter. All androids had received a software upgrade wherein a forced reset would send an immediate alert to the authorities. 

So there were several fighters who had been through multiple deaths and woken up with a different set of limbs and biocomponents each time. Zlatko’s mansion had become an even deeper pit of trauma and despair than when he’d been alive. 

_ “I’m scared.” _

_ “Really? Whatever happened to that crazy bitch who attacked me in the evidence room? Thought this would be an average Tuesday night for someone like you.” _

_ “Phck you! How is this normal? How would you feel if you had to bring Tina out of a coma?” _

_ “I would lose my mind. But while Tina is a small, delicate human, Gwen, lest you forget, my brother is a fucking military android. He’s fine. His memory’s fine. Press the button. Don’t leave him in stasis for longer than he needs to be. He won’t like it.” _

_ “I don’t know what I’m going to say to him.” _

_ “God, is it going to be like this every time?” _

_ “WHAT?” _

_ “Gwen, you know that Nines signed an indefinite contract with the House of Zlatko. This is just the beginning.” _

She had laughed in Nines’ face when he came home and told her what he’d done. It was surely a joke…  _ her man, a gladiator?  _ The android who read poetry and kept potted plants and cooked her three square meals a day? The android who couldn’t bear to kill household pests and always took them outside carefully? The android who reverently carried her to bed like she was a delicate glass sculpture?  _ What?  _ NO. 

Her smile had slipped when he unbuttoned his shirt and retracted his synthetic skin to reveal the letter ‘Z’ stamped onto his chassis.

_ “I thought you loved me.” _

_ “Of course I do…” _

_ “Then why are you saying goodbye to me.” _

_ “Don’t be dramatic, Gwen. Sure, it’s a risk, but it’s a calculated one. I know what I’m doing. It’ll be fine. The payouts will easily cover any repairs I might need. And we can get rid of this stupid mortgage. The apartment will be yours entirely.” _

_ “How dare you? I’m back on track for the mortgage installments. I don’t need this grand gesture from you. Phck! Even if this apartment becomes mine entirely… how would I be happy knowing that YOU aren’t mine entirely?” _

_ “NOW do you see what I mean?” _

_ “Don’t conflate things, asshole. Nobody gets torn apart at the Eden Lounge.” _

_ “Maybe not physically.” _

_ “Oh, don’t turn this around on me now. This isn't about me. Actually wait, this REALLY isn’t about me. I’m not dumb. I know you. There’s only one reason you’d run off to become some kind of cyberpunk prizefighter lapdog.” _

_ “What’s that?” _

_ “You get off on it as much as I get off on taking my clothes off in front of strangers.” _

She had absolutely been right of course. Nines loved the cage. Every fight filled him with zeal and enthusiasm. He had never fought a fair fight in his days at the DPD. Every situation was easily preconstructed and every adversary easily overpowered. At Zlatko’s, however, everything was unpredictable. Each opponent was built differently, programmed differently and therefore fought differently. It was a real test of skill and strength. He enjoyed the challenge... and the well-deserved rewards that came with it. The financial freedom and the expensive things he could buy his lady. 

Right after Gwen pressed the power button and woke him up from his first loss… with the thirium still evaporating from his clothes… his head still in Connor’s lap… he asked Gwen to marry him. 

_ “What the phck, Tincan?!” _

_ “Yes or no, Gwen?” _

_ “Why… how… what the hell is wrong with you?” _

_ “I don’t have a ring yet, but if you say yes, that’ll be motivation to win the next prize.” _

_ “If I say no, will you stop trying to get yourself killed?” _

_ “Probably not. I’ll just go ahead and buy the most beautiful ring in the store. The credit card debt will push me hard enough. So yes or no, baby? I love you.” _

_ “Goddammit, Nines. YES. I will marry you.” _

Her bracelet buzzed thrice. The stipulated time was up. She didn't waste a second in climbing off her customer’s lap and heading straight for the booth at the back of the Eden Lounge. She didn’t know why, but she knew there was something different about this night. 

It could’ve been the look in his steel blue eyes backstage… him saying that he had them covered for _months_ … then two of her guardian angels showing up together… whatever it was, she didn’t have a good feeling about things. 

Nines had been in many fights since the night of their engagement… and she’d worked the pole countless times since then… but she always made sure he put the ring back on her hand when they both got home. 

Something in the air that night made her desperately crave the feeling of silver encircling her finger and her fiance's strong arms around her. Gwen came to a stop in front of the booth and held her hand out. Tina sighed and placed the diamond ring in her palm. She curled her fingers around it tightly.

“How much money is on the floor tonight?” 

Connor shrugged in a poor attempt at nonchalance. Tina glanced between them before seeming to decide that honesty was the best course of action. 

“A little more than half a million.” 

Gwen didn’t react. 

“Who, or should I say,  _ what,  _ is he up against?” 

Tina turned to Connor. His LED sparked red as he looked up at Gwen. 

“Three TR400 heavy unit androids with RK upgrades to their reflexes.” 


End file.
